Street King Orange Mango Energy Shot Review

Here is the second flavour of the two Street King energy shots that went on sale recently. It is refreshing to see that one of the flavours is not a main stream one like "tropical fruits", or just "citrus", or "fruit punch".

Taste
The aroma coming out of that shot is simply delicious. The taste is mellow and just as great. The mango flavour is dominant throughout and the orange emerges only towards the end to give it a cleansing, sour finish.

The aftertaste is a bid odd. After drinking half the shot, I took a minute long pause, during which time a coconut taste developed and lingered for a while. I am not sure if this is on purpose or if it is just a strange result of the ingredients, but it is unique and pretty damn good.

The usual sweetener taste can also be found in the aftertaste, as well as tiny remnants of the orange and mango flavour combo.

I liked this shot much better than the grape one I tried a few days ago, which I thought was a bit watery tasting. The mango flavour is smooth and the orange gives the shot the sour kick it needs to end on a refreshing note.

Energy

Just like the grape energy shot, this one has 464 mg of active ingredients which act quickly to pep you up and then provide a 15-20 minute long period of calmness and focus before the caffeine kicks in.

The energy is clean, and though, it doesn't last for 6 hours (at least not for me), it provides a very nice 4 hours long boost without a crash at the end.

Scores:
Cost - unsure
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 17/20...smooth, delicious flavour with an excellent boost

Street King Grape Energy Shot Review

If you didn't already know this, the person behind this energy shot is 50 Cent himself. If you don't believe me, pick up a shot and check out the back of the label. You don't even have to read it because you will be staring at 50's photo. Following the success of Vitamin Water, I can only expect good things from this new line of energy shots. At the time of this review, there are only 2 flavours, but knowing 50, I expect more flavours to come out soon.

The energy shot comes in a pretty cool black bottle, which may look and feel like a normal energy shot bottle, it is not. It is 74 mL, making it just a tad taller and a tad wider than the regular 60 mL. It also has a wider opening making it much easier to transfer the caffeine from the container to your mouth.

Taste

I decided to try the grape flavour first, simply because it was closest to me. The shot smells like a cream grape soda with more of the cream part and a little less of the grape part. The taste is rather light and the grape flavour is very subtle. There is no sourness or bitterness to the shot which makes this very easy to drink. The aftertaste has the typical sweetener note accompanying the shot's grape flavour.

The light taste makes this shot forgettable once you consume it, but that might be a good thing for those who just want to get a boost and not have a long lasting aftertaste to remind them what they just drank.

I noticed a bit of a plastic taste at during my first sip. The taste came in at the start and lingered to the initial stages of the aftertaste. It was a bit of a turn off at first, but the subsequent sips didn't have any of this. Either that or perhaps the one sip was enough to get used to the taste.

Energy

This is my favourite part of the review - the energy boost. Street King has a 464 mg energy blend which contains malic acid, caffeine, sodium citrate and citicoline. I am not sure exactly how much of it is purely caffeine, but the label states that the caffeine content is comparable to a cup of premium coffee.

So does it work? Yes, of course. I got a very nice boost within 15 minutes of consuming the shot and like many of the new, premium energy shots, this one started off with a focus boost which lasted for about 20 minutes. This may not sound like a boost, but I did feel a bit more awake and more alert, yet calm enough to focus on my work.

The rush didn't start coming until about 35-40'th minute and it came with a bang. Without feeling jittery, I started to feel very energized and was ready to get up and run around.

Sadly, the boost did not last for 6 hours, but it gave me solid 4 hours without a crash at the end.


Scores:
Cost - not sure, got a bunch of samples
Taste - 7/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 15/20...light tasting, premium energy

VItal 4U Liquid Energy Review

When I was in Detroit I came across this interesting energy shot in a convenient package. Unlike some of the bigger (double) shots I picked up, this one is only 15 mL and comes in a very slim pack.

Taste

Tastes like a concentrated shot of coffee with some hazelnuts, some added sugar and a different kind of bitterness, not coffee bitterness. I was a bit surprised by this bitterness having noticed lately that the newer energy shots work very hard to mask the taste of the energy ingredients. On the other hand, though, this shot is only 15 mL and I assume it is much harder to mask the bitterness in such a small package.

Lets talk about the aftertaste. The aftertaste transitions through a few stages. The immediate aftertaste is sort of a mix between coffee with Bailey's. Yes, there is a bit of an alcoholic note to it. This, then, transitions to just a sweet coffee aftertaste, which then transitions to just a very sweet, slightly creamy aftertaste. Not surprising when you see that half of the package is essentially sugar.


Energy

There are 2,000 mg of ginseng in the shot, but there is also added caffeine and I am sure this is where the kick comes from.

The kick is pretty damn good. I felt awake and a bit jittery within 10 minutes of consuming this and I didn't experience the usual calm/focused period many of the newer energy shots deliver before the caffeine gets absorbed.

The energy was pretty awesome and lasted for a couple of hours before leaving me with a tiny crash.

I have had ginseng drinks before and I don't remember experiencing the same effects as this shot. I usually get a more natural boost and cleaner energy (without jitters). With this, though, I got a lot more. The added caffeine and sugar do change things...a lot.

Overall, this small package is a great alternative to the regular and larger energy shots, delivering similar performance. If you are looking for that instant boost, this could be the shot for you.

Scores:
Cost - $2.69
Taste - 6/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 14/20...OK taste with an almost instant boost

Spike Original Hardcore All-Day Energy Shot Review

Here is the second of the two Spike Double Shots I picked up from a 7-11 in Detroit. I should have tried and reviewed them in the reverse order since this is the Original flavour and the one I already had was the orange one.

Taste

The shot has a very strong, slightly tangy, berry/cherry/cough syrup-like scent. For a second it even reminded me of a fruity pre-mixed alcoholic drink. The taste is actually a lot mellower and less tart than the aroma...at least at the start. The berry flavour is very well done without any bitterness or any other odd twists. However, I couldn't really tell what kind of berries I was supposed to taste at the start.

There is quite a bit of sweetness at the start, but that is balanced out by some of the sourness you get towards the finish. The finish, itself, has a bit more taste and reveals some additional flavours such as strawberries and cherries, as well as some artificial sweetener notes.

Depending on the number of sips you take, the sourness will build up. I consumed the first half in multiple sips so that I can taste the shot. The second half was consumed in 2 gulps without a pause.

Overall, this shot is pretty damn tasty.

Energy

Like the Orange Spike, there are 350 mg of caffeine per bottle, or 175 mg if you consume only half the shot. The effects come in quickly and unlike many other energy shots, you will not experience any jitters if you follow the instructions, i.e. consume half the shot. The second half will definitely have you dancing around your house shaking every part of your body.

Once the shot started to kick in, I experienced a very enjoyable 25 minutes during which time I was mentally  focused (having consumed only half the bottle at this time). After the 25 minutes came in the real kick and I was ready to go. I had lost some of my focus, but at least I was wide awake.

The energy lasted for about 3 hours and there was no crash at the end...also I had another half of bottle left to pep myself up.

Scores:
Cost - $2.69 from 7-11
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 8/10 to 10/10

Overall - 17/20 to 19/20...depending on how much of the shot you consume

Spike Orange Gold Hardcore All-Day Energy Shot Review

This is a pretty big energy shot and feels a bit odd sitting in my hand. The bottle has the exact same shape as regular, 60 mL energy shots, but it is more than twice as big. Of course, this shot is actually marketed as a double shot, meaning, you drink only half at a time. The bottle actually has a small scale on the side that helps you measure how much of the bottle you have consumed and how much is left. I got this shot from a 7-11 in Detroit for about $2.69...I think.

Taste

The aroma this shot has is really, really strong. It smells like an orange jello cup. The taste is surprisingly smooth and enjoyable. It took me two gulps to get to the halfway mark and both were very enjoyable with almost no ill notes. The flavour is strong and reminds me of eating orange jello that has been made with a bit less water than required. There are no rough flavours like you would get from some cheaper, inferior shots and the finish is very orangy with very little bitterness, which is noticeable only at the end of each sip. Once the liquid is gone, the orange sweetness takes over and masks any bitterness. The immediate aftertaste has a sour note, but the sweetness takes it down a few notches after a 5-10 seconds.

Energy

There are 175 mg of caffeine per shot/serving, so a total of 350 mg in the bottle. The effects are very quick. I took half the bottle late at night before I left the house to go on an urgent, work-related task. I was feeling a bit sleepy, but only 2-3 minutes after consuming some of the liquid in the bottle, I suddenly woke up and almost instantly focused on some things I was reading. I felt great and very focused for the next 15-20 minutes when the caffeine started to slowly kick in. About 30 minutes after I drank half the shot, I was wide awake and ready to go to work. The effects lasted for several hours and I did start to crash a little at the end. The crash, I thought, was mostly due to the fact that I had been up for 18-19 hours, working most of that time, and not the shot itself.

Overall, I really enjoyed this shot - it worked great and was pretty tasty.

Scores:
Cost - $2.69
Taste - 8.5/10
Energy - 8/10 to 10/10

Overall - 16.5/20 to 18.5/20...depending on the amount of liquid you consume

Monster Rehab Protean + Energy Review

Nope, you are not reading this wrong, this Rehab is called Protean and contains 15g of protein. It may look/sound cheesy, but I think the name is pretty clever, especially the "tea" part which is highlighted in blue. Before I bought this, I had to make sure it wasn't just a re-branded Absolutely Zero, because it does have an almost identical label and color combination. I got this can from a 7-11 in Detroit for $3.

Taste

Whoa! The taste blew me a way as soon as the first drop hit my tongue. This Rehab tastes much, much better than I expected. The flavour starts off with a mellow, slightly tart blueberry note but quickly transitions to creamy, yogurt-like and finishes on an oddly floral tone (odd, but not in a bad way...at least not for me). The aftertaste is comparable to the aftertaste you get from eating blueberry yogurt and the sweetness level has been kept low. Also, underneath all the flavours lurks the drink's chalky character, which I assume is due to the new protein ingredients.

Please note that this drink is very dry! As soon as you swallow, your mouth will dry out almost instantly. Despite this, I really enjoyed this drink. I think the flavour is rather unique and worth checking out.

Energy

The usual Rehab energy blend is present here - 6,400 mg of active ingredients. I started to wake up and focus within 15 minutes of drinking half the can. In another 10, I was feeling energized and ready to go. The real kick came in another 10 minutes later and I felt great for the next 3-4 hours. As usual, no jitters or a crash were experienced.

Many reviewers/fans didn't like this Monster due to its floral/scented taste, but I sort of did since I enjoy eating yogurt.

Scores:
Cost - $3
Taste - 8.8/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 16.8/20...unique flavour with the same, awesome Monster Rehab kick

Monster Rehab Rojo Tea + Energy Review

This is one of the three new Monster Rehab flavours, only available in the US for now. I picked this up from a 7-11 in Detroit for $3.

Taste

I had no idea what Rojo tea meant, but after a sip, some thinking and actually reading the label, I found out it is a fancy way of saying this drink contains Rooibos tea. The tea character of this drink is easily noticed as it creates a sort of an earthy backdrop for the rest of the flavours. There is also cranberry juice, which cannot be noticed initially, but after getting used to the tea taste, its tartness emerges...and so does a bit of dryness. The finish is where the cranberry flavour is most predominant. The aftertaste is dry and a pleasant combination of cranberries and a bit of mild earthiness.

One complaint I have is the sweetness of this drink. It is a bit sweeter than I expected and it only gets worse as you keep on drinking. Add that to the dryness of the aftertaste, and at one point you will definitely want to grab some water.

Overall, this Monster Rehab is a pretty damn good energy drink, however, because of the sweetness, I would rather buy one of the other Rehabs.


Energy

As usual no caffeine content is given directly, only an energy blend of 6,400 mg. However, after a quick search, I found out the Rehab line contains about 170 mg of caffeine per 473 mL container. The effects of this drink are comparable to the other Rehabs - starts off with a focus boost which lasts about 20-30 minutes when the caffeine gets fully absorbed. As with the other Rehabs, I did not experience any jitters and when the energy fully kicked, it lasted for about 3 to 4 hours without a crash at the end.

If you like cranberry juice or cranberries, get this Monster Rehab. If you do not enjoy cranberries, I would recommend you try one of the other Rehabs.

Scores:
Cost - $3
Taste - 8.5/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 16.5/20...another pretty damn good Monster drink